Data from independent report reveals food & entertainment and digital conveniences have significant impact on where players choose to bring their casino business.
PHOENIX, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- LT, a full-service marketing and customer experience agency with a division focused on casino, hospitality and entertainment destination brands, today released its new study, The Casino Experience Gap: Shifts in Player Expectations & Operators' Priorities. The study, the latest installment in a series of reports conducted with Jefferies and Anthony F. Lucas, professor at UNLV's College of Hospitality, measured the opinions of 703 respondents ages 21-75 on the types of casino offerings and features they consider most important to gaining, and maintaining, their loyalty. The report also integrated the input of 66 casino operator stakeholders.
A core theme prevalent throughout the data centered around the evolution of the casino experience from a primarily transactional activity to a social-focused endeavor, as 70% of players now view gaming as a pastime or form of entertainment, with 91% of respondents reporting they visit casinos with others. The message is clear: the casino experience has become much more than just the gaming floor, which represents an opportunity for operators to drive loyalty through new and alternative channels.
Non-gaming offerings are more important than ever:
When asked whether non-gaming activities, offerings and promotions had a significant impact on where players choose to bring their business, 66% responded in the affirmative—up from 46% in 2024—while 45% of respondents indicated they spend more than a quarter of their time on-property taking advantage of non-gaming activities, a more than twofold increase from 20% in 2024. Offerings such as bars and restaurants, live entertainment and hotel amenities are of particular importance to younger generations, as 74% of Millennials and 70% of Gen Z players reported non-gaming offerings having an impact on their casino decisions.
Omnichannel is no longer just a buzzword:
The integration and comingling of digital and retail elements of the gaming experience has shifted from a perk to an expectation among players, as 74% of respondents indicated they expect casinos to offer digital conveniences like apps and portals. Examining strictly the cohort of players that conveyed a preference toward in-person gaming, 79% said they still want digital tools for planning, research and rewards tracking even if they're not participating in online casino games. But technological integrations need to be additive: 44% of players said technology has actually worsened their casino experience. The omnichannel demand is not lost on operators, 70% of which reported website enhancements and the development of mobile app experiences such as loyalty portals and booking systems as top priorities in the next two years, while 76% indicated they plan to increase their digital platform budgets in the same time period. Operators that can deliver on those initiatives stand to be rewarded, as 79% of players said a good customer experience can help a smaller casino win their business over a larger one.
Economic environment will impact casino traffic:
Any unforeseen change to the economic climate tends to have a direct effect on discretionary spending and that includes gaming and entertainment, as 67% of respondents reported limiting their play due to economic and cost-of-living pressures. The younger generations are particularly cost-conscious: 43% of Millennials would limit their play budget and 35% of Gen Z respondents expect to reduce their play time in the face of ongoing economic pressures. Looking strictly at affluent vs. non-affluent players—defined as a household income above or below $175,000—only 35% of non-affluent players said that cost-of-living pressures would not impact their play behavior, in contrast to 52% of affluent players who indicated their play wouldn't be affected by such pressures.
"This study highlighted what we've deemed 'the experience gap,' or the fundamental misalignment between player and operator priorities: Players want gaming to be one piece of a more holistic, entertainment-centered experience bolstered by a set of baseline digital tools, while operators remain overly tethered to models that have proven successful in the past. In order to foster loyalty, it's paramount that operators meet players where they are, particularly in uncertain economic times," said Nick Dan-Bergman, Chief Marketing Officer at LT.
Additional noteworthy findings:
Food & Beverage foundational to casino selection:
Dining and nightlife go hand in hand with social experiences so it's no surprise that players expect both diversity and quality in casino Food & Beverage options—which ranked among the top three reasons for visiting a casino of choice—with 66% indicating they want to see their casino of choice invest more in those offerings. Food & Beverage is especially important to affluent players, 68% of whom said they prioritize F&B when choosing a casino.
Marketing resources a pain point for many operators:
Casino marketing may feel ubiquitous but the reality is many casinos are under-resourced in that realm, as 44% of operator respondents reported having marketing teams of 10 staff members or fewer while 61% are working with annual budgets of $500,000 or less. Accordingly, 45% cited budget constraints as the top challenge to hitting their goals.
Casino marketers can make better use of social media:
Social channels represent a low-cost marketing tool at the disposal of any business—and one that casinos are suboptimally leveraging according to the data, which revealed that only 23% of operators prioritize organic social content while 46% are still investing in much less cost-effective traditional media. On the player side, 34% indicated they rely on social media to research casinos.
AI on longer-term roadmaps of gaming executives:
Casino executives are aware of the potential AI presents but are still figuring out how to implement AI-powered marketing applications. While 35% of operator respondents said they plan to invest in AI-driven personalization, 47% admitted their organization is not prepared to take full advantage of AI advancements and only 34% indicated AI would be a priority over the next two years. When asked to describe their sentiment about leveraging AI, casino leaders shared a range of emotions, headlined by "Optimistic" (54%) and "Excited" (40%), but also "Cautious" (33%), "Overwhelmed" (16%) and "Skeptical" (15%).
Webinar Presenting Key Research Findings:
The authors of the research are hosting a webinar in partnership with Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Magazine on Tuesday, May 20th at 1 pm ET. They'll present the highlights of their findings and host a panel discussion with executives from Isleta Resort & Casino, Prairie Band Casino & Resort and Cordish Gaming — register to attend here.
About LT
LT (formerly LaneTerralever) is a marketing and digital experience agency focused on creating meaningful customer experiences based on deep strategic insights. We are proud to have increased visits, recognition and engagement for a variety of partners, including Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel, Isleta Resort & Casino, Desert Diamond Casinos, Cocopah Casino & Resort, Tulalip Resort Casino, Palms Casino Resort, Golden Entertainment, The STRAT and Blue Man Group. Learn more at LT.agency.
Media Contact
Wyatt Yearout, LT, 1 (602) 258-5263, [email protected], LT.Agency
SOURCE LT
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